Sight Seeing in Helsinki
By Ronald Lau
The Railway Station
As the means to get to Helsinki city, the railway is the most important system. A large complex with several floors with underground tram connections, surrounding shopping areas, and connecting buses truly makes it a central area for commuting. On the outside, The renowned architectural masterpiece, Rautatieasema, dating as far back as 1914 represents late Finnish Art Nouveau, the main work of famous architect Eliel Saarinen.
The rail system is quite organized and on time, with the central area containing time tables which I find are comprehensive. Perhaps the only drawback is the night life where trains after 1:47 in the morning cease and continue again around 6:00 am.
Stockmann's Department Store
Personally, Stockmann is Helsinki's best department store, selling everything from A to Y except for exotic animals you’ll find in the Zoo. It sells whatever required and by far is Helsinki's largest and oldest department store. There is even a whole floor dedicated for men’s clothing which I could spend my entire day browsing through the merchandise.
Temppeliaukio Church
Built around the late 1960’s, it was designed by the architect brothers, Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen. The appearance is built from solid rock and some people call it the Church of the Rock. I found it more interesting that the natural light brightens the inside through the many fitted glasses between the dome and the wall. The dome shape is rather beautiful, and it is said that the church is often used for concerts, because of the excellent acoustics.
Finnish Parliament
Parliament House built around 1920 is built near the water and the when seen from afar it appears like a grey cube. However further inspection reveals a reddish rock granite supported by surrounding columns. The building contains several floors, and although we didn’t have a chance to look at the interior, I find that this building is very important in terms of political history.
Senate Square
By far this is my favorite open space site, show casing Carl Ludvig Engel's unique architecture, situated on the opposite side of Helsinki University. The figure in the center of the large area surrounded by cobbled stones provides a sense of freedom, and the wide stairway to leading up to Helsinki Cathedral is a remarkable construction.
Sederholmin Talo
Among the attractions the Sederholmin Talo is among surprisingly the oldest in Helsinki dating as far back as the 1800’s. Nevertheless I think the museum is a great place to examine Johan Sederholm, who was the riches man in Helsinki for his time.
Design Museo
Modern architecture design and functionality is a specialty I find unique in any new idea or concept. Located on Keavuorenkatu 23 street in Helsinki, it is a bit difficult to find for it does not resemble any church, but rather it is housed in a large commercial building. Nevertheless this museum represents the ideas and thoughts that go into any piece of furniture, housing fixture, or anything usable in a day to day basis.
For instance, there were unique lighting fixtures designed to be lightweight and flexible, resembling a bow and anchored between the roof and floor. With this setup, a light fixture of this type can be placed in any room regardless of height limitations.
Another functional and beautiful design comes from a wooden table with the surface containing a photograph, with foldable legs it doubles as a wall picture. Indeed I would have loved a picture of beautiful Helsinki by the water at night to serve as a photograph and dinner table.Among other unique artifacts, the well known Nokia phones were showed cased indicating design drawings, a line of bike cycles suspended by wire, well designed chairs that were also beautiful, and last but not least a floor mat that glows in the dark with a certain pulsing sensation.
Perhaps more intriguing were the washroom tiles with hidden messages that only someone taught in the ways of reading “dot – code” could feel and understand. I can only imagine what the blind man was smiling about while taking a shower.
National Museum
This museum easily consumed the entire time of my day with unending artifacts to see, and providing a unique historical approach to a greater understanding of Finland.
Situated just past the Parliament building, at first glance it resembled more of a church, but internally it is very large and highly organized self tour starting at the basement area.
Starting from the basement, the collections include medals and coins, leading to an armory showcasing the armory room. Further, the upper levels were a little intimidating, showing historical life in a religious perspective, the difficult times during the war as a buffer zone between Russia and Sweden. Each room has displays on various themes which I find interesting include clothing, entertainment, the office, the home, toys/games, technology and much more relating to that year. More importantly I find it enjoyable to see how things have changed leading up to the modern society leading up to fifteen minute video, showing footage of various events in Finland’s history with appropriate time stamps to refer to specific war time, the Olympic Games, and more.
However the tour doesn’t stop there, there is also a separate room showcasing outdoor life in the wilderness, complete with human and animal skeletons. After leaving the museum, it provided me a sense of greater understanding how Finland came to be, especially from a political and wartime perspective. More importantly, there were series of rooms showcasing the life of history’s political leaders and their way of life.
Times have really changed, and even now I can see the museum continue to grow as we write history in the modern world, particularly when you can find a Nokia phone in a class case.